PRIMARY school children are suffering because of political interference, say Crewe-based education experts.

A report by Manchester Metropilitan University’s Institute of Education claims political interference is damaging children’s learning and restricting teachers’ ability to teach.

Prof Harry Torrance and Dr Elaine McCreery, together with co-author Dominic Wyse from Cambridge, argue that while test scores have risen since the mid 1990s, there had been a “decrease in overall quality of primary education experienced by pupils because of the narrowing of the curriculum and the intensity of test preparation”.

Sandbach headteacher Margaret Blease-Bourne agrees children should attain basic skills but it was important other subjects weren’t pushed out.

The Elworth Hall Primary head added that while creative teachers would always find a way to broaden the curriculum, new agendas repeatedly introduced by government sometimes left school staff confused and not knowing how they fitted in.”